Grinding machine for billets and the like



April 23, 1963 F. E. EDQVIST 3,085,331

GRINDING MACHINE FOR BILLETS AND THE LIKE Filed July 14, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet l Fig.1

INVENTOR FOLKE EVALD EDQWST BY WM ATTORNEYS April 23, 1963 F. E. EDQVIST 3,085,331

GRINDING MACHINE FOR BILLETS AND THE LIKE Filed July 14, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS April 23, 1963 F. E. EDQVIST GRINDING MACHINE FOR BILLETS AND THE LIKE Filed July 14, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 wmmkwkmm INVENTOR D Q VI 8 T E D M V E FL K L O F ATTORNEYS April 23, 1963 F. E. EDQVIST 3, 3

GRINDING MACHINE FOR BILLETS AND THE LIKE Filed July 14, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VENTOR FOLKE EVALD EDQVIST BY WM ATTORNEYS April 23, 1963 F. E. EDQVIST 3,086,331

GRINDING MACHINE FOR BILLETS AND THE LIKE Filed July 14, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR FOLKE EVALD EDQVIST BY MWM ATTORNEYS United rates atent 3,086,331 GRINDINQ MACHINE FOR BILLETS AND THE LIKE Follre Evald Edqvist, Hallspjallsgatan, Gothenhurg, Sweden Filed July 14, 196i), Ser. No. 42,938 Claims priority, application Sweden July 15, 1959 1 Claim. (Cl. 51-422) The present invention relates to machines for grinding steel billets and similar work pieces of substantially par-; allelepipedic shape.

Grinding machines of this kind are used for removing the casting skin and glow scales from steel billets and for grinding off any surface cracks and impurities in such a work piece. It is previously known to arrange a grinding machine reciprocable on a trackway running along one side of a fixed work table. In a machine of this type one serious difficulty is to effect etficient removal of the grinding particles. For this purpose the machine must either be provided with a suction intake extending the whole length of the table or else the means for removing and collecting the grinding particles must be movable together with the grinding machine. Both of these alternatives would be diflicult to realize and would therefore tend to complicate the machine and enhance the cost thereof.

This drawback is overcome by the present invention which is mainly characterized in that the machine comprises a table which is provided with means for clamping a work-piece thereon and which is reciprocable along a horizontal guide between two end portions and relative to a pair of grinding wheels each driven by a separate electrical motor, the centers of said grinding wheels being situated in substantially the same transverse plane with respect to the direction of displacement of the table. One of said grinding wheels is adapted to grind the upper, mainly horizontal surface of the work-piece and the other grinding wheel is adapted to grind one of the substantially vertical side surfaces of the work piece, both grinding wheels working simultaneously, means further being provided for positioning the grinding wheels relative to said surfaces in a direction at right angles to the direction of table displacement and for moving the grinding wheels towards and away from said surfaces. With a machine of such a type the difficulties previously mentioned in connection with the extraction means for the grinding particles have been obviated, and, furthermore, the grinding of a work piece may be effected much more rapidly than what has hitherto been possible, since two surfaces of the work piece are ground simultaneously and, accordingly, the work piece has to be turned over only once to complete the grinding by grinding the remaining two surfaces.

According to the invention the axes of the two grinding wheels are preferably parallel with the direction of displacement of the table.

The machine according to the invention may further comprise means for automatically reversing the direction of travel of the table at each of its end positions and si multaneously activate the means for positioning the grinding wheels relative to the surfaces to be ground.

Said reversing means may comprise two cams carried by the table and adjustable in the direction of displacement thereof for positioning said cams with respect to the ends of a work piece clamped on the table, a valve, switch or similar means being disposed substantially in the same plane as the centers of the grinding wheels for being activated by said cams.

According to one embodiment of the invention that grinding wheel which is intended for working said vertical surface of the work piece is carried at one end of an arm ice which is pivotally journalled at its opposite end in a carriage or the like which is mounted in a support arranged adjacent the table for displacement horizontally towards and away from the table.

The arm carrying the grinding wheel may then preferably be swingable by means of a hydraulic device which is adapted to alter the position of the arm step by step at the turnpoints of the table.

The grinding wheel intended for grinding the upper surface of the work piece is preferably supported by a carriage or the like which is mounted in a support and which is displaceable at right angles to the direction of displacement of the table by means of a hydraulic device arranged to alter the position of said carriage in stepwise moves at the turnpoints of the table.

Both grinding wheels may be adjustable by means of hydraulic devices in the manner described above and, according to a further feature of the invention, the means actuated by the above-mentioned cams for reversing the direction of table displacement may then consist of a valve adapted to control the supply of pressure medium to a hydraulic driving mechanism for the table and to the hydraulic devices for the stepwise displacement of the grinding wheels relative to the surfaces to be ground.

In one embodiment of the invention the supports for the two grinding Wheels are arranged one on each side of the table and opposite one another. The carriage for the upper surface grinding wheel may then be displaceable along beams connecting the supports above and across the table.

A grinding machine constructed in accordance with the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the machine,

FIG. 2 is an end view,

FIG. 3 is a plan,

FIG. 4 is to a larger scale a partly broken side view of the means for supporting the upper surface grinding wheel, and

FIG. 5 is a similar view showing the means supporting the other grinding wheel.

The machine comprises an elongated base 1 provided with rails 2 running the length of the machine. A work table 3 for supporting a work piece is reciprocable in longitudinal direction along said rails. The table is provided at its ends with a number of jaws for clamping a work piece therebetween. At one end of the table there are provided three jaws 4 which are adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the table and may be locked in different positions. Said jaws 4 are secured to the ends of bars 5 which are displaceable relative to the table in recesses in cross pieces 6 secured to the top of the table. At the opposite end of the table there are provided two jaws 7 which are likewise carried by bars 8 displaceable through cross pieces 6. The latter jaws 7 are adapted to be pressed against the edge of a work piece by means of hydraulic means not shown in the drawings, for clamping said work piece between the jaws 4 and '7. The cross pieces 6 are provided at one end with upwardly projecting abutments 9 for one longitudinal edge of the work piece. In FIGS. l-3 a work piece 10 is indicated in broken lines.

T 0 one side of the base 1 there is mounted a support 11 for a carriage 12 which carries a grinding wheel 13 for grinding the upper surface of the work piece. At the opposite side of the base and opposite the support 11 there is arranged a support 14 for a second grinding wheel 15 adapted to grind one of the vertical side surfaces of a work piece clamped upon table 3. Grinding wheel 15 is situated in the same transverse plane relative to the direction of displacement of the table 3 as the firs-tmentioned grinding wheel 13. To the top of the support 11 there are attached two parallel and spaced beams 16 which extend across and above the table and the opposite ends of which are secured to the other support 14. The carriage 12 is provided with wheels 17 (see FIGURE 2) by means of which thecarriage is displaceable along the beams 16.

The carriage 12 is shown in greater detail and to a larger scale in FIG. 4 wherein, however, a few details have been omitted for the sake of clarity. The carriage 2 is provided with a grinding wheel head 18 for the grinding wheel 13 which is rotatable around a horizontal axis parallel to the direction of displacement of the work table. The grinding wheel head 18 is vertically displaceable along that side of the carriage 12 which faces the table 3 and is carried by substantially horizontal arms 19 and 20 which are at one end pivotally connected to horizontal shafts 21 and 22, respectively, provided in the grinding wheel head 18. At the opposite ends the arms 19, 20 are rotatably joumalled on horizontal shafts 23 and 24, respectively, provided in the carriage 12. In the embodiment shown there are provided two upper arms 19 and two lower arms 20, only one pair of arms, however, being visible in FIG. 4. The electrical driving motor 25 for the grinding wheel 13 is carried by the upper arms 19 and is situated at that side of the pivot axis thereof which is opposite the grinding wheel head 18. The motor is arranged to drive the grinding wheel by the intermediary of the upper shaft 21 in the grinding wheel head 18 which shaft is provided with a pulley for a belt 26 which is also passed over a pulley on the motor shaft and which is indicated in broken lines in FIG. 4. On the opposite end of shaft 21 there is attached a pulley which by means of a belt 27-likewise shown in broken linestransmits the driving movement to the grinding wheel 13 via gears 28, 29.

The motor 25 is mounted on a substantially vertical plate 30 which by means of brackets 31 is pivotally connected at 32 with lugs 33 secured to the upper arms 19. The pivot point 32 is situated a distance from and above the pivot shaft 23 of the upper arms 19, and below and at a distance from shaft 23 there are arranged one or more adjustment screws 35 in a plate 34 connected to the arms 19, the ends of said screws abutting the motorcarrying plate which is pivotable on the pin 32. By setting the screws 35 the stretching of' the belt 26 may thus be easily adjusted. For raising the grinding wheel 13 away from the work piece situated therebelow and for maintaining a certain grinding pressure between the grinding wheel and the work piece, there is provided a pneumatic cylinder 36. Said pneumatic cylinder is arranged in a substantially vertical position in the carriage 12 and has its upper end pivotally carried therein. A piston (not shown) displaceable in the cylinder is provided with a piston rod 37 projecting out of the cylinder at the lower end thereof, said piston rod being connected to a cross piece 38 connecting the lower arms 20.

The grinding wheel 15 which is adapted to grind one vertical side surface of the work piece is rotatable on a horizontal axis parallel to the direction of displacement of the table 3 and carried at one end of an arm 39 which at its opposite end is pivoted on a horizontal shaft 40 mounted in a carriage 41 (see FIG. The carriage 41 is provided with wheels 42 by means of which it is displaceable along rails 43 provided at the inner side of the side walls of the support 14. The grinding wheel 15 is driven by means of a belt 44 from an electric motor 45 mounted on the arm 39. For moving the grinding wheel towards and away from the work piece and for obtaining the desired grinding pressure between the grinding Wheel and the work piece there is provided a pneumatic cylinder 46 disposed horizontally in the carriage 41. The cylinder 46 projects through an opening in the back of the carriage 41 and is pivotally connected to a bracket or the like 47 secured to the inner side of the back wall of the support 14. The free end of a piston 48 projecting out of the opposite end of the cylinder 46 is pivotally connected to the bottom of the carriage 41 by means of a pin 49. The arm 39 carrying the grinding wheel 15 is swingable for positioning of the grinding wheel relative to the work piece in vertical direction by means of a vertically mounted hydraulic cylinder 50 which is connected at its upper end with the arm 39. A piston rod 51 projecting out from the cylinder 50 at its lower end is pivotally connected to a bracket 52 secured to the bottom of the carriage 41.

To one side of the support 14 for the grinding wheel 15 there is provided a platform 53 for the machine operator. The platform is provided with a control stand 54 with controls and instruments for the hydraulic, pneumatic and electrical systems.

The work table 3 is adapted to be displaced along the base 1 by means of a hydraulic device arranged within the base and not shown in the drawings. To prevent grinding particles from penetrating into the space in the base containing the hydraulic driving means there are provided between the base and the table a number of displaceable cover plates 55 (see FIG. 3) which in all positions of the table cover that part of the opening in the upper side of the base which otherwise would have been uncovered by the table. The machine is further provided with means for automatic reversal of the direction of table displacement at the end positions of the table. Such means comprise two cams mounted at one side of the table and individually displaceable in longitudinal direction of the table and adapted to be locked in any desired position. The cams 56 which are intended to be positioned each opposite one of the ends of the work piece are arranged to actuate a reversing valve 57 mounted beside the base 1 in substantially the same plane as the grinding wheels 13, 15, said valve being adapted to cause reversal of the drive mechanism for the table. The reversing valve is also adapted to activate the hydraulic device (not shown) for causing transverse displacement relative to the table 3 of the carriage 12 carrying the grinding wheel 13, and also to actuate the hydraulic device 50, 51 for pivoting the arm 39 carrying the grinding wheel 15, in such a way, that both grinding wheels are moved by steps over the surfaces to be ground, one step each time the direction of table displacement is reversed. Each portion of the surfaces of the work piece will thereby be ground by the grinding wheels.

For effecting removal of the grinding particles there are provided suction channels 13 and 15 for the grinding wheels 58 and 62, respectively, a suction fan (not shown) being connected to said channels. The suction channel provided in the support 11 is continued behind the support in an extension (not shown) wherein a bent plate 59, shown in broken lines, is inserted for deflecting the grinding particles down to a space 60 below the floor where a case or wagon 61 is positioned for collecting the grinding particles.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment hereinbefore described and as shown in the accompanying drawings, said embodiment being susceptible of various modifications with respect to its details without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

A machine for grinding billets and similar work piece of substantially parallelepipedic shape comprising a table, clamping means for a work piece provided on said table, a guide having said table reciprocally mounted thereon for movement between two end positions, a pair of separately driven annular grinding wheels, means moveably supporting one of said grinding wheels over said table with said grinding wheel extending normal to the direction of movement of said table including a support mounted to one side of said table, a carriage slideably mounted on said support for movement towards and from said table, an arm pivotally connected at one end to said carriage, a grinding wheel head pivotally connected to said arm and rotatably supporting said one of said grinding wheels, and a second arm pivotally connected to said carriage and said head, means moveably supporting the other of said grinding wheels alongside said table with said other grinding wheel extending normal to the direction of movement of said table and in substantially the same transverse plane with respect to the direction of displacement of said table as said first grinding wheel, means for moving said first grinding wheel supporting means for directing said grinding wheel towards and away from said table, being connected to said carriage and said second arm for moving the same and said head, and means for moving said second grinding wheel supporting means directing said second grinding wheel towards and away firom said table.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Robinson Oct. 27, Wilson Ian. 19, Mulholland Nov. 9, Lowe Ian. 14, Boltz Sept. 9', Glenn Apr. 26, Gurinn Apr. 26, Lavner Oct. 11, Edqvist May 2,

FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland Dec. 16,

Belgium June 8, 

